PRABHUPADA EXPLAINS THE TECHNIQUE OF PREACHING KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS TO RASCALS

Jnāna: Srīla Prabhupāda, how may we best approach the rulers and the leaders and the politicians to interest them in this?

Prabhupāda: You simply go and chant Hare Krishna.

Jnāna: Just the same.

Prabhupāda: That’s all. You flatter them. That other day I you told that our preaching process is this: dante nidhāya trnakam padayor nipatya. According to Vedic civilization, if one approaches before you with a straw in his mouth, that means he is fully surrendered. That is the sign. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvati is speaking that “With a straw in my mouth,” dante nidhāya trnakam. Dante – teeth, “padayor nipatya“: I am just falling down at your lotus feet, and I have come before you with this straw very humbly.” And, “I am flattering you a hundred times.” Then naturally any rogue, any rascal will be pleased: “All right, you can speak something.” If you become so humble and meek, there is no man in the world who will say, “No, no, I am not going to hear you.” Of course, there are many rascals. They will say so, that “I have no time.” So anyway, generally people will hear. So when he says, “All right, what do you want to say?” “he sādhavah”, again flattering: “O the great sādhu, you are…,” although you know he is a great rascal. (laughter) Still, I will have to speak to him. This is the process of preaching. Is that all right? You tell him, “Oh, you are a great sadhu (saint).” Then he will be: “Oh, yes, yes. (laughter) You are right. You are right. What do you want from me? Tell me.” Then you can say, he sādhavah sakalam eva vihāya dūrād: “Whatever rascaldom you have learned, please forget. (laughter) Please forget.” “Then what I have to do?” Caitanya-candra-carane kurutānurāgam: “You become adhered to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. That is my request. That’s all. So I have brought this Caitanya-caritāmrta, seventeen volumes. If you can kindly take this…” So they will take. They have got money. And if he reads one line, he’ll be perfect. This should be your process of preaching.

[An excerpt from a question and answer session after a lecture on the Bhagavad-gītā 7.4 delivered in Bombay on February 19, 1974]